THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 
new winter-flowering Carnation, named Annie, was 
shown by Mr. H. Parr, which has deep rose-coloured 
flowers of large size and good form. 
CULTURE OF FERNS. 
It is very important that every kind of Fern should 
be grown in the temperature most suited to it, espe- 
cially during the development of the young fronds, 
otherwise no class of plants suffer more quickly from 
insect pests. Plants intended for cutting purposes, 
and which are now growing freely, must be gradually 
inured to more airy structures than the Fernery. 
When the fronds of these are fully developed, the 
plants may be placed during summer in any cool, shady 
house ; and when the fronds are cut, they may be 
again introduced to heat, when a quick growth of fronds 
will be produced, which will be valuable during winter. 
Plants growing in temperate and cool houses on rock- 
work, should now receive a top-dressing, placing a 
little rough compost round their collars to induce a 
good root ramification. Surface the soil over with 
flaky moss to keep the roots cool and moist, and to 
assist in keeping up a healthy degree of moisture in 
the house. 
AURICULAS IN APRIL. 
This is the month when Auriculas may be said to 
claim particular attention from the beginning till the 
end of the month. There must be protection from 
storms of rain in all cases where the plants are so 
exposed as to be liable to suffer injury from this cause ; 
there must be some covering when night frosts 
threaten ; watering must be done when requisite, and 
with care ; and when the plants are in ordinary frames, 
advantage must be taken of genial growing weather 
to draw off the lights when it can be done with safety, 
for the more air and light the plants have when the 
weather is of this character, the stronger and more 
healthy will be the bloom. 
The cultivator needs to guard against frosty, drying 
winds, and when these prevail, the lights should be put 
on, and air given by tilting the lights on the south 
side ; the bottom of the frames and stages should be 
kept well moistened in dry warm weather, and by this 
means a humid atmosphere is maintained, which serves 
to counteract to some extent the effects of parching 
winds. 
Once or twice a week, according to the weather, the 
plants will need to be watered liberally. Should the 
weather set in warm at the beginning of the month, 
the plants will come forward rapidly. In the case of 
movable lights on frames, it is of great advantage to 
wash and cleanse the glasses inside and out. As soon 
as the pips commence to expand, the plants should be 
removed to a north aspect, and placed beneath hand- 
glasses, or in a small frame, out of reach of harm, in 
order to finish and perfect the head of bloom. Even 
when the plants are in flower air must be admitted, 
but not to such an extent as will blow the blooms 
about, and the plants must be screened from the effects 
of night frosts. 
SOWING PHLOX DRUMMONDII. 
No apology is needed for making a reference to this 
lovely and useful annual, for it is one of the most 
delightful things that can grace a garden in the 
summer-time. The usual plan is to treat this Phlox 
as a half-hardy annual, and sow it in a gentle warmth, 
and then transplant to the open ground. Probably 
this is done in ninety cases out of a hundred of those 
who make use of this charming subject for summer 
decoration. The very finest bed of Phlox Drummondii 
we saw last summer was one on which the seed was 
sown just as a gardener would sow the commonest of 
hardy annuals. Now last summer was an exceptional 
one, and the summer cold and wet, and yet every seed 
almost must have grown; the plants flourished un- 
checked, and they had attained to good size some time 
before the transplanted ones had made a vigorous start. 
It is at the time of transplanting that a check will 
often come. If hot, dry weather sets in, the plants are 
long in getting root-soil, and a good part of the sum- 
mer has passed away before there is anything approach- 
ing a display of flower. In the case of seeds sown in 
the open ground where the plants are to flower, the 
converse holds good, and the result is so satisfactory 
that we recommend our readers to make the attempt. 
The seed should be sown about the beginning of April, 
in a warm, rich, light soil, open to the south. The 
Phlox Drummondii has been greatly improved of late 
years by the Continental florists. We have now in our 
gardens a strain known as the grandijlora section, 
in which the flowers are very large and finely formed ; 
one variety in particular, named grandijlora splendens , 
is superbly fine; the colour rich bright vermilion- 
scarlet. We have grown this variety in pots, and 
been much struck with the fine effect it produced in 
the greenhouse. 
